Free Education Comes In Various Forms - Minister

The Government has said it will take time to roll out free education as resources need to be mobilised for its implementation.

NewsDay reported the Minister of Primary and Secondary Education, Torerai Moyo as saying free education will be rolled out in the next few years. Said Moyo:

The government indeed has the intention that from Early Childhood Development (ECD) up to Grade 7, children should have free education.

That is the aim of the President. So, this is not new. It is an issue that we are seriously considering and it will not take us three years to implement.

We need to mobilise the resources so that people benefit. Free education comes in various forms.

Buy Samsung, itel, Redmi smartphones in Zimbabwe

WhatsApp: +263715068543

There is the Basic Education Assistance Module (BEAM) for those children who come from less privileged parents and they can go from ECD A up to grade 7 for free.

BEAM is a government programme aimed at providing financial assistance to disadvantaged primary and secondary school learners.

It was established to support children from vulnerable backgrounds, including orphans, children from low-income families, and children with disabilities, to access quality education.

BEAM has, however, been affected by underfunding from the Treasury. In November 2023, Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Minister July Moyo said that the Government has a ZWL$278 billion outstanding bill for BEAM.

Meanwhile, Torerai Moyo revealed that BEAM does not cater for levies for projects that schools require from parents from time to time. He said:

In underdeveloped areas like my communal home, Muzarabani, Guruve and Kariba, children in those areas do not pay school fees.

They are going to school for free. There is a grant that is being used to cater for their fees.

Those who pay do so because they will have reached an agreement that the school wants to build accommodation for the schoolteachers and levies are going to be paid.

The ministry is approached with proposals and approval is granted.

In 2020, President Emmerson Mnangagwa signed into law the Education Amendment Act which compels the State to provide free basic education as stipulated by Section 27 of the Constitution.

In the run-up to the 2018 and 2023 general elections, the Government promised free basic education but has failed to honour the promises.

More: Pindula News